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Klaudia & Kristina's Breakthrough Week

In an absolutely packed doubles field, it was an unseeded team who made it in Montréal.

Published August 13, 2012 12:00

Klaudia Jans-Ignacik, Kristina Mladenovic

MONTRÉAL, Canada - In a field that had just about every top team in the world apart from the Williams sisters, it was unseeded Polish-French team Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Kristina Mladenovic who came out the winners, polishing off an absolute breakthrough week with the Rogers Cup doubles title.

"All week we believed in ourselves and went for every shot," Mladenovic said. "We felt we had the right tactics for the important moments, and that's what made the difference, because we played so many super tie-breaks this week."

"We had to play two matches in one day yesterday and there was so much stress but I'm glad we did it," Jans-Ignacik said. "Kristina and I did so many good things this week so I knew we could make it in the final. And we really had nothing to lose - they were the favorites, we were just there to enjoy it. It was also my first victory over Nadia. It's just an amazing feeling right now.

"Kristina's mother told us, 'Prepare yourself for when there will be a match point. It's going to be a pleasure to win the match, so just be ready for it.'"

Jans-Ignacik collected her third and biggest WTA doubles title, having won two International-level clay court titles previously - Marbella in 2009 (with Alicja Rosolska) and Strasbourg this year (alongside Olga Govortsova).

Meanwhile, the young Mladenovic took home her first WTA title of any kind.

"It was only our third time playing together and it was such a good week - nobody expected this," the 19-year-old Mladenovic said. "I wasn't really used to the courts here after the Olympics and I lost in the qualies in singles, so I was just excited to stay here longer and longer for doubles. It's such a big title for us and for me, too - I'm just starting my career on the tour. It's amazing."

"We wanted to play again in Cincinnati but we didn't get in because of our rankings - but after this result it will be much easier," Jans-Ignacik said. "We'll be playing the US Open and hopefully more. Kristina is still young and will probably play lots of singles, so we'll see. But for sure we will be playing."